The themes include the idea of family. Maniac doesn't have a traditional family, but he finds family - like relationships with those he meets. There is also the theme of acceptance. He has to be accepted by different groups in the town, and he also has to learn to accept the differences between people. And courage is a theme too. It takes courage for him to break the barriers between the white and black parts of the town.
Grayson is an important character. He becomes a sort of father figure to Maniac. He teaches Maniac things like how to play baseball and gives him a place to stay for a while. Mars Bar Thompson is also significant. He is from the black side of town and at first is hostile to Maniac but later their relationship develops in an interesting way. And there are Maniac's parents, although they are not present in the story directly, they are important in terms of Maniac's backstory.
Some important characters are Maniac Magee himself, of course. Then there's Amanda Beale, who gives Maniac a place to stay sometimes. Also, the McNab brothers play an important role. There's Hester and Lester as well.
The main plot is about a boy named Jeffrey Lionel Magee, known as Maniac Magee. He runs away from home and has many adventures in Two Mills. He faces the racial divide in the town, makes friends with different people on both sides of that divide, and tries to bring people together in his own unique way.
Maniac Magee is indeed realistic fiction. It depicts a world that has elements of truth and authenticity, and the story unfolds in a manner that seems plausible in our everyday lives.
Maniac Magee is fiction. You can tell by the way the story unfolds with imaginative elements and scenarios that wouldn't occur in real life. It's a work of creative storytelling rather than a recount of actual events.
Maniac Magee is not based on real events. It's a work of fiction that the author crafted to entertain and engage readers with an imaginative plot and characters.